On Saturday, May 19, and Sunday, May 20 the School of Rock Boston is leading a brigade of the best Southern Rock artists of all time, including ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, and more. The show will take place in Cambridge, MA at TT the Bears.
The cast and crew of rock school students, ages 8-18, take the stage after three months of preparatory rehearsals under show director Bassam Habal and assistant director Anderson Mar for a wild celebration of Southern Rock, a subgenre of rock music that was developed in the Southern United States from an amalgamation of rock and roll, country music, and blues, and is focused generally around electric guitar and vocals. In the Boston scene, this genre is usually tagged as “Americana”.
This show is all ages. Tickets are available for $10 in advance by calling 617-923-3434 during School of Rock business hours, or can be ordered online by going to http://sorock.eventbrite.com ; there will also be tickets available at the door day-of-show at the price of $12 per person.--The Deli Staff
James Newman: Martin and I started the band in '05 with Suzanna and Jorge. The owners of the rehearsal studio we practiced at invited us to record an album, but unfortunately that band fell apart during the sessions. So, Martin and I wound up handling all the instrumentation while we searched for a new singer. Eventually, we found Kathryn, finished recording and then pieced together a band to play out while we mixed.
Eliza Brown: I'm convinced the Newman brothers had no idea what it meant before I came along, but they say I'm rude to say that. It's a verb that comes from a French children’s song called "Alouette, je te plumerai"...
Q&A with the deli's Band of the Month: Plumerai by Chrissy Prisco
Deli: How did the band start?
James Newman: Martin and I started the band in '05 with Suzanna and Jorge. The owners of the rehearsal studio we practiced at invited us to record an album, but unfortunately that band fell apart during the sessions. So, Martin and I wound up handling all the instrumentation while we searched for a new singer. Eventually, we found Kathryn, finished recording and then pieced together a band to play out while we mixed.
Eliza Brown: I'm convinced the Newman brothers had no idea what it meant before I came along, but they say I'm rude to say that. It's a verb that comes from a French children’s song called "Alouette, je te plumerai" : Alouette, I will pluck your feathers. I don't -- and hope -- it has no deep meaning in relation to the band. I think they just liked how it sounded. And it does sound nice. A little bit of nonesense that sounds nice.
J: The lyrics were in my high school french text book. For some reason, that particular word [plumerai] stuck with me.
What are your biggest musical influences?
J: In context of this band: Siouxsie & the Banshees, the Cure, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Cranes, Birthday Party, the Glove, Lush.
What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
E: A wonderful old record of Duke Ellington with Adelaide Hall singing. It's a pure joy
J: In addition to the ones I already mentioned, I've been into the Sugarcubes, Dag Nasty, Danzig-era Misfits, Tindersticks & random hits from the 60's & 70's.
What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
E: The first big concert was Cali, a French singer. It was very impressive. But I prefer more intimate concerts. First album I bought... I haven't bought many albums. Didn't have much allowance for it and modern music wasn't very approved in the house. It was much more fun to steal albums from my siblings. I remember the first cd I ever listened to was the Cruel Intentions soundtrack that I still care for today.
J: Ozzy was my first concert. Sadly, it was for the Ultimate Sin album when he was dressed up like a fat, sequined bumble bee. First album I bought with my own money was Iron Maiden's Piece of Mind.
What do you love about New Englands music scene?
E: I prefer more intimate concerts, which is what is cool with the New England music scene. Even big bands come and play in a small room with limited entries. So much more enjoyable than standing 10 meters away from the stage. In Boston particularly what is wonderful is that there are many gig opportunities if you work for it.
What would you like to see change in the local music scene?
E: Obviously more breaks given to the little bands. More support from bigger bands. More opening act opportunities.
What are your plans for the upcoming year?
E: Finish our album and go on tour on the west coast. As a foreigner, being in a band is the most incredible way to discover a country. People welcome you more, and you have something to share and an opportunity to bond with others, which is quite difficult when you're first to a new country. Plumerai definetely makes my life in America fuller and better. So my intention is to keep the adventure going on and enjoy every minute of it.
What was your most memorable live show?
E: A show at Jacques' Underground when for the first time people danced. We had no shoegazing that night it was wonderful!
J: Playing Thesaloniki, Greece. It was the most professional event we've played & there were a lot of people who seemed to enjoy our music. Plus being jetlagged made things blurry. Almost dream-like.
Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?
E: Our friends most of all who regurlarly come to our shows and pass around our music.
J: There have been people throughout the band's existence that helped us along the way. The owners of Get Nice Records recorded and released our first album. Nektarios of Muzine included us in his magazine and set up the shows in Greece. Brian at Silber Records promoted/released/distributed our music. And there are DJs and bloggers who exposed us to their audience.
Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?
E: Nope. You can do music with anything.
Why do you read The Deli?
E: Because they nominated us to be the band of the month, so they must be very clever people with outstandingly good taste.
I’ll always have a soft spot for pop-punk. Ever since I first heard Enema of the State, I’ve been drawn to the fast-paced—at times whiny, I’ll admit—sounds of that particular style. So, for me, Shambles' latest release, Shambles EP, is a great record. It holds true to the standards of pop-punk with airtight guitar work and catchy—and at times emotional—lyrics.
I thought the band handled the vocals well throughout this record. The band utilizes gang vocals more often than they use a solo vocalist, which I thought really added depth to the songs. The end of the fourth track, “ATL…DTF?,” is a perfect example of the group vocals. The band uses several different harmonies during the last two times through the chorus, which I thought was quite impressive.
Shambles will be playing a gig at Great Scott in Allston on Wednesday, April 25, so if you’re in the area be sure to head on over and check them out. You can also check their bandcamp site for a free download of the Shambles EP and information on how to get free merch, swag, or whatever you prefer to call it.--Daniel McMahon
The term “garage rock” is sometimes passed around to denote a lack of quality or accessibility in a band’s sound. However, there is also a sense of purity and tradition in the genre, with the genesis of most major and influential movements in the rock and roll history originating in one corner of a basement or another. Straight from central Mass’ dirty burg, Sun Sister proudly parades their passports from Garageland with their premier EP, Rich American White Kidz; a four song shoegaze sample populated with songs of love and hate for junkies
Rich American White Kidz is also a surf/pop album produced with a loving amount of abandonment -- the production is low-fi, with a heavy focus on Stacy Baird’s phased-out vocals, which give the songs a distant and manic depressed feeling. Lyrically, the songs are reminiscent of such acts as The Velvet Underground, with first person looks at shady figures and burnouts with hearts.
The EP, out April 30 on the British-based indie label Tye Die Tapes, is now available for pre-order. Fans of shoegaze garage rock such as The Pillows, Plumtree, or The Moldy Peaches would be well off checking them out.--Anthony Geehan
Propelled by emotional choruses and massive guitars, The Roman Numeral Three are on the fast-track to make a name for themselves far outside their hometown of Raynham, MA. While their sound is heavily rooted in punk, the band manage to add their own unique twist, creating a genre that is something more than just “punk”—it’s damn good music. I found myself particularly drawn to the second track from their most recent release, On Baker Road. The song, “Woke Up Sick” really focuses on the rhythm section, with verses that feature a driving back-beat of snare and bass drum. Towards the end of the song, drummer Kevin O’Connor really lets loose, showcasing his talents with a series of tight fills.
Not to be shown up, track six, “Still Alive” features the blistering guitar work of Mike Rague. Rague’s guitar work is swift and accurate, getting messy at some points but just messy enough that you are able to tell that this guy really knows his stuff. After listening to their entire record, this is clearly a group of talented musicians with a clearly defined sound.
I was also impressed with the band’s use of gang vocals throughout the entire record. I thought they added to the energy of the songs and really served to engage the listener (or more specifically me, the blog writer). I was picturing myself throwing my fists in the air in the middle of the pit as I listened to this record.
Overall, On Baker Road is a great record. I could easily picture this band on the roster of Asian Man Records, playing a gig with Matt Skiba or something like that.--Daniel McMahon
Boston’s power pop, garage scene has no shortage of guitar pickers looking to make Beantown proud at home and across these here United States. Among these eager young space case cadets that are on the rise is garage pop four-piece Pretty & Nice. Beginning as a two piece project in the lost city of Burlington VT, the lineup has expanded and spent the better half of a decade making their way through basements and dive bars making their mark as a self-made touring band. Now, they prepare to release their new full length album with an odd collection of off-tempo pop anthems that the band hopes to use to cement their place as one of Boston’s most recognizable bands.
Pretty & Nice premiered in 2006 with the punk/60’s garage influenced Pink & Blue; a ten song L.P recorded by the band’s founding members Holden Lewis and Jeremy Mendicinio. Once forming into a full touring band, they released an EP’s worth of selected remixes called Blue & Blue. Gaining the support of independent record label Hardly Art, they became a hit in the Boston area with their second full length album, Get Young. The band has since toured nationally several times over and has had great success as a returning act to Austin’s SXSW festival.
This third LP keeps many of the band’s original sounds and trademarks in tact, but has a much more ambitious production and theme. With the mantra “We are all instruments” strewn throughout, the songs possess a series of tempo shifts, tone divergents, and quirky pop hooks. Reminiscent of such modern bands as Vampire Weekend and classic acts as David Bowie, it is both poppy enough to be accessible but interesting enough to study. For promotion of the new album, the band will be releasing a 7”, Fantastic Artifact. The release will include a single from the upcoming album entitled Yonkers as well as a cover of Genesis's "Get Better". The full L.P. is due out in the summer.--Anthony Geehan
When I think ballet music, I think of Tchaikovsky, classical symphonies, romanticism, The Nutcracker, and now, the three-piece experimental-folk band, Mercies.
Mercies, “a band not bound by lyrics,” provides their take of a ballet soundtrack on their new 22 minute EP. They are bound by nothing in this EP as Josh Rheault and Sammy Dent take the best of what they have to offer and turn it into something refreshing and vivid. The band shows off their whole spectrum of music as we see the trio settle into the unique sound they coined in their debut album, Three Thousand Days.
When I interviewed the band several months back, they let me in on their future plans that involved incorporating musical scores into their music. With Josh’s personal and guitar-driven style of song writing and Sammy’s background in experimental classical composition and composing, it was only a matter of time before the band released a 5 song epic like this, that dances, paints pictures, and screams. Although Three Thousand Days seems more personal and affirming, The Ballet EP seems to be more meaningful, as if the sum of all their musical experiences, endeavors, and styles up until this moment were put together to make something that that truly moved them and, in consequence, anybody who gives this EP a good listen.
For the first nine minutes of the EP are separated into two vocal-less tracks called “Music for a Ballet: Light” and “Music for a Ballet: Dark.” As I listened to these two tracks filled with swells, flutters, space, and chaos, I closed my eyes and was put into a trance as I watched a perfectly in sync ballet. “Writing the music for the ballet was both challenging and inspiring,” said Josh Rheault. For quite possibly being the first band to make a ballet soundtrack as a 3-piece indie-rock band, it is only fair to presume it would be a challenge, but to do it so perfectly was a surprise that was most pleasing. Luckily, for the listeners like myself (or at least the ones that live in Virginia) our imaginative ballet will come to life as the music is to be used in a ballet choreographed by Audrey Fenske at the Charlottesville Ballet.
In the bottom half of the EP is the Mercies material not meant for a ballet. Mercies choose two re-worked old songs, and a new song to accompany the ballet music. These songs embrace their progressive folk rock sound while relying less on vocals, hooks, and choruses to drive the songs along but instead a mix of ambience and hard rock. The third and middle track on the EP, "Clouds," is the stand out track on the album combining sounds to remind of a hybrid between Atlas Sound and Cold War Kids, combining true post rock with a raw indie rock sound. Mercies are moving fast and only gaining speed. Make sure to catch one of their upcoming shows.--Michael Giordano
Last One Out: Jeff, Dustin, and Scott M. all met Freshman year at PC but it wasn’t until they joined up with Scott R. at the end of Sophomore year that they formed Last One Out. Jeff, Scott M., and Dustin were playing together beforehand and were in need of a new singer so they asked Scott R. (who they already knew played piano and who happened to live on the same dormitory floor) if he had any singing skills. An affirmative yes, and one terribly informal audition later, Last One Out was formed.
Q&A with the deli's Band of the Month: Last One Out by Chrissy Prisco
deli: How did the band start?
Last One Out: Jeff, Dustin, and Scott M. all met Freshman year at PC but it wasn’t until they joined up with Scott R. at the end of Sophomore year that they formed Last One Out. Jeff, Scott M., and Dustin were playing together beforehand and were in need of a new singer so they asked Scott R. (who they already knew played piano and who happened to live on the same dormitory floor) if he had any singing skills. An affirmative yes, and one terribly informal audition later, Last One Out was formed.
Where did the band name, Last One Out, come from?
The practice room, where we worked on our stuff had a sign on the door as you left that read “Last one out, turn off the lights.” There’s no real meaning behind it, we were simply in desperate search of a name and happened to stumble across this one. We were standing in front of the door after one practice, talking about band names, and Scott M pointed to the sign and said, '"What about 'Last One Out'?"
What are your biggest musical influences?
I’d have to say we draw a lot from a mixed bag of bands. Groups like The Killers, The Kooks, Foo Fighters, John Mayer, Two Door Cinema Club, Young the Giant, The Cars, The Strokes, all come to mind as inspiration for writing our own music.
What artists (local, national and/or international) are you currently listening to?
At this literal moment I’m listening to a band out of Australia called Last Dinosaurs. But at other times we’ll listen to Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, The Wombats, whatever is on WBRU, and we actually listen to a lot of local music as well. Being part of that group, we like to show as much support as we can for other bands doing the exact same thing as us right now.
What's the first concert that you ever attended and first album that you ever bought?
The first time we all went to a show together was probably for Liberty Fest this past 4th of July. It’s a really small music festival that takes place down Smith Street in Providence. It highlights all genres of local music on a few small stages in a group of random back yards.
What do you love about New Englands music scene?
Because it is such a large scene, especially in the Boston area, there are a great number of venues to play at. We like that.
What are your plans for the upcoming year?
Continue to expand our territory of gigs and reach out to a larger and wider audience.
What was your most memorable live show?
WBRU Rock Hunt Finals. We had never played in front of so many people. It wasn’t until this show that we started taking the band seriously and actually considered it in our post-grad plans.
Is there someone who has helped your band grow through support?
Our parents and our school friends/fans. Without them we wouldn’t be doing this right now.
Is there a piece of equipment you couldn't live without and why?
Yeah, our PA system. Without that we couldn’t pay rent.
